


Like Real People Do

by Athenaash



Series: Autistic Spencer Reid [2]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: (Just a little bit), Ableism, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Autism Spectrum, Autistic Character, Autistic Penelope Garcia, Autistic Spencer Reid, Gen, How Do I Tag, Light Angst, Male-Female Friendship, Protective Aaron Hotchner, Sort of? More like cannon ambiguous, Stimming, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, but it's more like I just can't stick with one, internalized ableism, switching POVs, team as a family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:20:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26593591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Athenaash/pseuds/Athenaash
Summary: A slow day at the office leaves Spencer burnt out, and tired. Good thing his team is there for him.
Relationships: Aaron Hotchner & Spencer Reid, Can be read as pen/spence I think?, Penelope Garcia & Spencer Reid
Series: Autistic Spencer Reid [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1855861
Comments: 14
Kudos: 216





	Like Real People Do

**Author's Note:**

> CW at the endnotes!
> 
> Title taken from the song "Like Real People Do" By Hooiser!

_ “The longest road out is the shortest road home,” Irish proverb _

It was a slow day in the office, and Spencer fell into a comfortable repetitive routine. He got to finish all of his paperwork, and was planning on listening to a new podcast that Hotch found for him last night. He started chewing on his shirt collar distractedly as he finished his report for the last case they were on.

The doctor started humming a nonspecific tune, which, admittedly, was  _ incredibly _ off-key. He started stimming, bobbing his head, and hands flapping up and down. His body finally stopped buzzing with discomfort, something Spencer didn’t even realize he felt, something that happened far too often. He started clicking his tongue, and tapping his fingers. His head too wrapped up in itself to notice when someone started talking to him.

… that is, until, the someone in front of him grabbed his wrists in a tight grip. He wasn’t sure who it was, until after he ripped his hands away, a hum flowing from his throat. When Agent Green started speaking, it took a second for Spencer to catch up on the words, “-so stop it,”

Oh. That made sense, he was bothering other people. He pursed his lips into a tight line, and nodded, squeaking out a ‘sorry’ to the agent.  _ God _ Spence was so stupid sometimes, if he had half a brain, he wouldn’t have started stimming where everyone could see him. He took a few breaths in quick succession, and started fiddling with his hands, clearly uncomfortable “Uh… do you have… work?” 

Agent Green scoffed, but stood up, and started to make his way over to his desk, before Hotch intercepted him. “What’s going on here, gentlemen?”

Spencer nearly started flapping his hands again, before he snuck a look at Green and started biting his nails instead. “Reid was just bothering everyo-” Hotch cut him off with a wave of his hand, and a glare.

“How was Agent Reid bothering you? From what I could tell, he was using self regulatory behavior, and not harming anyone,” Hotch wasn’t trying to hide his scowl now, “From what  _ I _ could tell, you, unprovoked, walked up and harassed your coworker,” Green rolled his eyes, and opened his mouth to say something, before Hotch raised his hand to silence him again, “This isn’t the first issue I’ve had with you, I’ll be contacting your superiors for further disciplinary action,” 

Green scoffed, but walked away from Spencer’s desk, causing him to nearly deflate in relief, and Hotch turned to him, “You’re allowed to stim here Spencer, tell me if someone bothers you again,”

Spencer bobbed his head, and smiled at Hotch, “Tell me if someone bothers you again,” A hand shot up to his mouth, and Spencer’s face burned with shame, he was always embarrassed about his echolalia. When Hotch didn’t mention it, walking away, Spencer was filled with a sort of relief.

Spencer frowned when he realized that he wasn’t paying enough attention to the last ten or so minutes of his podcast, and he pulled out his headphones to find his spot later, when he was calmer, and at his apartment. There were a few more hours before he was able to leave, one and a half, so Spencer decided to make his way over to Garcia’s office, she was always bored this time of day. 

As soon as he got there, Penelope held out a Doctor Who themed pencil bag to him, but it took a moment for Spencer to be able to accept it, hands flapping in excitement. “I saw this bad boy at a store the other day, and I just  _ had _ to get it for the resident boy genius.” A hum spilled out of the doctor’s lips, words failing to come to him as he rubbed his hands over the fabric. 

“Saw this bad boy?” Spencer echoed, face blooming red in embarrassment. His hands sped up on the pencil pouch, expecting Penny to yell at him, but it never came. It really never did. Even when his hands flapped without him noticing, or couldn’t speak his own words. He knew his fear was unfounded, but years of being neurodivergent conditioned him. 

Penny, ever the godsend, ignored the evident worry splayed over his face, and smiled, “Yeah! Do you know the place off 2nd, and near 3rd?” When Spencer nodded, she nodded back, “So it was in the back! Oh! And Harry Potter stuff! I  _ almost _ got you a Hufflepuff tie too, but I didn’t know what house you were!”

Spencer hooked his thumbs, and splayed out his hands; Penny nodded, “A Ravenclaw? I can see it! You’re smart and creative, and wise _sometimes_ , yeah?”

“Smart,” Spencer repeated, starting to put pens in his newly acquired bag. His tongue clicked, when he looked back up to Penny, a smile settled comfortably on his face. She held out her arms for a hug, which Spencer eagerly reciprocated. It was a bad day for him, which she picked up on, the tentative stimming, and echoing was always a mixed bag, but she was glad when he accepted!

Penny noticed the bags under his eyes, “You look like you need coffee,” He nodded absently, transfixed with rolling his new bag around, hearing the pens  _ clink _ together, “Which is good news, because me too!” 

When she got to the breakroom, Penny was interrupted by JJ, a worried look on her face, “Is Spencer ok? He didn’t seem to be talking much to you, and that’s a bad sign, right?” The two walked together to the coffee counter.

“Hm, not for Spencer! It’ll happen when he’s happy, too. I don’t have problems with my speech, basically at all! But our genius’s brain’ll overwhelm a lot easier,” She paused to pull out two cups, and start making coffee, “Basically, if he has a strong emotion, bad or good, his brain says ‘whoops! I only have space for one thing in here, speech, or the emotion!’” 

“At least, that’s how Spencer’s explained it to me! Ask him next time, ‘kay?” Penny smiled at her friend before waving and taking off with the two cups of coffee in her hands. As much as she loved JJ, she always treated Spencer like a kid, after figuring out he was autistic. Spencer either didn’t notice, or didn’t care, which was why she never brought it up in front of him.

She shook her head, to clear out her thoughts, before walking back to her office, hands aching to fiddle, but alas! The cups in her hands were the true bane of her existence! A chuckled slipped out of her at that, as she pushed the door open with her foot, “Spence! I got you your sugary death concoction,”

Spencer rocked back and forth on the couch he was sat on, which was covered in blankets and pillows, arms flapping slowly in front of his face. She joined him on the sofa, smiling, she set the two mugs down with a  _ clink _ . “Ugh! Today has been the worst! Boring, and slow as hell,”

Spencer looked up at her with a sheepish smile, and nodded, “Just paperwork,” he muttered, feeling uncomfortable with how his voice scratched against his throat, he let his fingerpads tap over his throat in a soft motion to calm himself down, speaking already bothering him.

Spencer pushed up the glasses on his face with a sigh, and a sharp jerk of his head, “Oh!” Penny clapped her hands together with a smile, “Guess who has  _ Dr Who _ \- Season 9, your favorite - downloaded on her laptop?!”

The doctor’s hands sped up in excitement, and a low hum made its way past his lips. Spencer let himself nod, hoping to convey how excited he was without words, and it seemed to do the trick! Because the pair spent at least 2 hours watching their shared special interest, stimming together contentedly. 

Penny’s phone dinging broke them both out of their stupor, but shocked Spencer enough he nearly fell off the couch, when she giggled at him, the doctor just rolled his eyes and stood up, “Ugh! I totally forgot I made plans with the girls! Walk me to my car, Monsieur?” He sighed, but nodded with a roll of his eyes, “I’ll meet you by the front, I have a lotta stuff to pack up today,” 

When Spencer met her, by the door, he smiled, hands in his pockets, and rocking back on his heels, with his bag haphazardly tossed over his shoulder, “Got all your shit, boy genius?” They made it to her car, with no mishaps, but few jokes passing out of Penny’s lips, that were met with a quiet sort of laughter. 

They stopped when they got to Penny’s red Slugbug, decked out in bright stickers that strained Spencer’s eyes, “Get home safe, ‘kay?” when he gave her an awkward thumbs up, he kissed him on the cheek, a sparkle in her eyes, “Dork,”

“... goof,” God. Talking was  _ still _ uncomfortable, but he managed to get the word out loud enough that Penny fake gasped at him.

“How  _ dare _ you?! I take you under my wing, and I do nothing but give you love, and this is how you repay me?! I’m hurt, Spence, truely,” She laughed, to make sure Spencer knew it was a joke, but she slipped into the driver’s seat, “I better see you tomorrow! Team dinner every other Saturday, remember?” Spencer gave her another thumbs up, which she shut the door on. 

  
  


_ “Alone, we can do so little, together, we can do so much,” -Helen Keller _

**Author's Note:**

> CW: Ableism comes in when another agent tries to stop Reid from stimming, but Hotch reprimands them, and descilates the situation. Overall it's a super fluffy fic
> 
> The begining quote was so hard to find, and it doesn't fit aaaaah! This took so long to write,,, I need to sit down and just *do it* more often >:(  
> Tysm for reading! Take care of yourselves!! Remeber to drink water, grab a snack, uncleanch your shoulders and jaw, and make sure you've taken your meds if you need any! Ily! <3<3<3


End file.
